The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-05-28
"Zanby. air yer well. my chliepn she

chin quivered as she gazed upon him.
al wuz fool all my life till the other
day." he said. "Now I've got some
sense" he added, after slight pause.
"Whut have you learnt that's new?"
she asked.
Learnt that I've allus been fool, l
tell you. I've been a sort o butterfly,
but new I'm hornet"
She looked at him in establishment
"Zanby, l know now that you KANT
help bein' statesman"
Statesman, the deuce"
'Mussyful heavens, chile, you"
That's all right, mother" Zanby
broke in. I've hearn about that all
my life, and when l wuz fool l paid
attention to it an lived in it, for | was
blind then, but ken see now. / know
you air surprised to see that l amt no
longer fool"
The old woman burst into tears. He
put his withered arm about her neck.
"Thar," he said, "don'tcry thiser way.
You oughter be glad that l amt no
longer SIGH fool, even if don't laugh
an try ter dance"
She dried her eyes, and, though sor-
rowing deeply, could not help but adj
mire the new expression which the
hitherto simple boy had found.
"Zanby," she said, tenderly holding
his withcrcd arm, "ef yore eyes all
opened, as you say, and EFF you air so
much smarter than you ulster be, how
ken you hep bein' a great manP"
Mother, you mustn't talk to me
thater way any more. My mind is jist
as badly crippled as my body, an il
amt nachul that ken ever amount to
any thing"
Her hopes Of his coming greatness
and her never-ending talk of the time
when he should be recognized as q
leader, constituted her only pleasure
and now, to be robbed of it, brought q
fresh flow of tears.
Thar, now, mother, don't cry. It's
better ter be miserable with some little
sense than ter be fool an be har py.
"But, my son." said the old woman
endeavoring to be calm, you ain TOLD
me what has brought about this terri
BILE changer"
mo, an / reckon I'd better keep i
ter myself. 1t KANT be he'ped-thaI
amt no earthly cure for it.
"But you mout tell yore pore oil
mother"
Thar, now, don't cry. No, dom
want ter go in thar"
She had made a motion as though
she would draw him into the dark room
II don't want to go into dar no more
It's dark enough out here for me now.
Don't speak slightin' O. that room
my chile. Yore father died in thar"
eyes, l know that, an | b'leve II
die if wuz to go in thar now. Ikain'
hc'p-yOu must furgive me-but
KANT hep but think O. that as my foe
room"
Ivy, Zanby"
II know l oughtent ter say il
mother, but l kain't hep but think o
it that way. 1t was in thar fust hear
O. my comm greatness. You woul
) go in thar by yourself ter mourn bu
, tuck me in thar to make me feel prou
o. myself, an long time ago, whe
we'd set in thar, I'd think it wuz
blessed privilege to be cripple. Yes
l mother, that is my fool room."
She stood in the back yard ant
looked after him when he wslke
( down the branch, deeply troubled
( When he came home at evening, hi
+ mother, hoping that he had repented {
what he said, took him by the han
Q and gently attempted to draw him int
Q the dark room.
g ~ will not 60 in the fool room," h
S said rather harshly, but quickly putin
, his withered arm around her neck, !
4 softly added: Mother, you must NJ
: ask me ter 90 in thar. d"
"Jes' one more time, fur feel lii
the spirit o yore father is thar. "
: He hesitated moment longer, an
then suffered her to lead him into Il
t room. When they came out he WI
laughing.
{ you shall have hundreds O. fin
9 dresses when make laws" he sal
you shaint do no work, an Wen rio
in a fine carriage"
4 He put his sound arm around h
, neck, drew her to him and kissed he
T "Yes, an we'l be so happy the
won't we, son."
: "Yessm, an We'll eat pie"
: yes"
G "An' put whole lot O. jam on whe
4 bread"
+ YES" she said.
can Wen give all the con bread t
}. the hogs" he continued. "Oh, lemr
$ tell YOU" he delightedly exclaime